Leo & Lily

22420 Ventura Blvd.

Woodland Hills, Ca. 91364

818.222.6622

http://www.leonlily.com/

$$($10-$20)

Leo & Lily is an eatery off of Ventura catering to those who want something "hearty, filling, healthy, and affordable." Though off of Ventura and the 101, porch side dining is free of the sounds of traffic. Unfortunately, Leo & Lily have terrible taste in music, and should seriously consider turning the generic music off and accept the sound of silence. The menu is short making ordering simple. Right off the bat I saw something that interested me without question.     

Turkey Meatloaf Panini [$9.95]
Turkey Meatloaf + Whole Grain Mustard + Ciabatta

Why do I insist on playing Russian Roulette? Why? I am well aware of my abysmal track record for scoring the rare satisfying meatloaf sandwich. Call me Ahab, when I see "meatloaf" I am looking at my White Whale. Leo & Lily make the attempt, but they fall short. 

It's definition time. Panini is derived from the Italian "panino" which refers to any sandwich made from bread that isn't "sliced-bread." Traditionally speaking, we are looking at ciabatta, rosetta, or baguettes. "Panino's" are NOT toasted or pressed. The United States, United Kingdom, & Canada, define "Panini's" as pressed and toasted sandwiches. Considering this sandwich has no grill marks and shows no signs of being pressed, it's obviously the former, meaning Leo & Lily should rename their sandwich.

Let's talk bread. Ciabatta is thick and crusty. I like ciabatta. Sliced vertically, brushed with some herbed butter, and pressed, I can definitely use it for a panini. Cut horizontally, that's a lot of bread, even if pressed. 

If you have read any of my other entries you know how I feel about any condiment placed on the side of my plate -- they're worthless and tend to over-power the original experience of any food it's served with. If the condiment is beneficial toward the enjoyment of the meal, it would be part of its original construction. Get the condiments off the table.

Now, the star, Moby Dick. I was unimpressed looking at the sandwich put infront of me. I should have known, it's a turkey meatloaf, not exactly a bird known for its fat content. Biting into the Panino I tasted an overabundance of whole-grain mustard (a little bit goes a long way -- something to take into consideration for next time) and a great deal of breadiness. Between the ciabatta and mustard, the taste of meatloaf escaped me. I picked out one of the two slices. The meatloaf felt like pressed firm tofu and tasted bland, almost synthetic.         

Portobello Fries [$5.95]
Deep Fried Portobello Mushroom Slices

I had a great experience with Portobello Fries at King's Row and thought I would give it another go... not as satisfying this time around. Leo & Lily uses a panko dredge, assuming these fries are housemade and not mass produced, flash frozen, and then sold in the freezer section of your local mega mart. Biting into the fry, the shell falls apart without even a satisfying crunch. The mushroom is sliced, dredged, and deep fried, unfortunately nothing shields the mushroom from absorbing the oils it was fried in; resulting in soggy oily slices of portobello mushrooms incased in thick breading. I guess that's why you are given a heaping side of garlic aioli.

Leo & Lily, as they claim, serve food that can be construed as "hearty, filling, healthy, and affordable." Unfortunately the food is not something I would recommend getting fat with.